Jessie going through McGrath - just grabbing some snacks. Bummed because he has to drop his finishing leader from last year, "Nola", a real sweet girl with a sore shoulder - but 60 lb and says he can't carry her all the way to Ophir (which suggests he's going to 24 there?). Says to her "I'm going to miss you".
(Aside: have you noticed the race aren't calling them "dropped dogs" any more? They are now "returned dogs")
* * *
Jessie R - videoed the entire gorge with one hand - and Insider shows it - gorgeous footage of her team going along the twisty trail - over ice bridges and alongside creeks, mountains all around, by moon and headlight.
Describes nearly hitting a tree, but just managed to get the dogs stopped before she did, then flipped the sled onto one runner to get past it, came around the tree and there was KattiJo [pronounced "kai-tee-jo"] - with a broken gangline and all her dogs loose. Katti managed to get the gangline repaired enough to get down the trail a ways and when they stopped to rest at Tin Creek, Jessie had a 16-dog line that she didn't need any more, so she loaned it to Katti.
(Replaying the tracker, it almost looks like Katti had something else going on about ten miles before that, when she was going backwards on the trail for a short time).
* * *
Interview with Pete camped out in the Burn - says the last couple of nights was some of the nicest mushing under the full moon he's ever done, running without his headlight. He's always done this section in the dark, but with the full moon he was able to see stuff that he hasn't seen in 14 years. Says the gorge and the trail out of Rohn was some of the best he's ever seen. Far better than an average year - says the rookies will have a good run.
McGrath -Takotna - Ophir - Iditarod - Shageluk - Anvik
Moderators: fladogfan, libby the lab, mira, mamamia, sc-race-fan
Re: McGrath -Takotna - Ophir - Iditarod - Shageluk - Anvik
by elsietee » Wed Mar 08, 2023 12:51 am
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elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
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Re: McGrath -Takotna - Ophir - Iditarod - Shageluk - Anvik
by elsietee » Wed Mar 08, 2023 1:15 am
Cute footage of Richie coming through McGrath - greeted and hugged by his two nieces. Jokes with one "are you going to drive my team for me?". Girls look stunned. They have signs cheering him on. Girls says "he's cool - and their favorite uncle out of all their uncles". 
* * *
Kelly in McGrath - says he stopped because the dogs slowed down A LOT, so although he declared his 24, he's going to see how they look in a while. They are eating well, and seem energetic, but just moving very slow. Says he has some dogs that he was on the verge of dropping. Says his plan had been to go to Tak, but if he left McGrath the way the dogs are right now, he'd likely leave with only 10 dogs, which is not ideal.
* * *
Takotna: Bruce still stunned by how good Pete's team looks - says they look as good as they did at the start - and he's going into his 24. Says the team is the strongest one he's seen in the whole field. And he thought that at Rohn as well. And don't forget, Pete was the next to last musher at the start, so will stay the shortest 24. Says Pete's arrival time is perfect for when he leaves off his 24 as well - will make for perfect timing for a long run.
* * *
Kelly in McGrath - says he stopped because the dogs slowed down A LOT, so although he declared his 24, he's going to see how they look in a while. They are eating well, and seem energetic, but just moving very slow. Says he has some dogs that he was on the verge of dropping. Says his plan had been to go to Tak, but if he left McGrath the way the dogs are right now, he'd likely leave with only 10 dogs, which is not ideal.
* * *
Takotna: Bruce still stunned by how good Pete's team looks - says they look as good as they did at the start - and he's going into his 24. Says the team is the strongest one he's seen in the whole field. And he thought that at Rohn as well. And don't forget, Pete was the next to last musher at the start, so will stay the shortest 24. Says Pete's arrival time is perfect for when he leaves off his 24 as well - will make for perfect timing for a long run.
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elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
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Re: McGrath -Takotna - Ophir - Iditarod - Shageluk - Anvik
by elsietee » Wed Mar 08, 2023 2:29 pm
Wade rested 5:23 in McGrath and ran all the way through Tak and Ophir, and is currently camped 9 miles past Ophir. So it looks like he's going to 24 in Iditarod (so far, the only one to go through).
Still on the trail - Deke (between McG and Tak) and Nic is moving - presumably will stop around Tak area)
In Ophir:
JessieH
Brent
Aaron Peck (very fast over the trail)
In Tak:
Ryan
Richie
Pete
Matt Failor
Eddie Burke
Mille
Hunter Keefe
Matt Hall
Christian Turner
Dan K
Jessie Royer
KattiJo
Beringtons
Ramey Smyth
Bridgett
In McGrath:
Kelly Maixner
Riley
Bailey Vitello
Jason Mackey
Gerhardt
In Nik:
Mike WIlliams
Greg Vitello (will likely go on to McGrath to join his son)
Still on the trail - Deke (between McG and Tak) and Nic is moving - presumably will stop around Tak area)
In Ophir:
JessieH
Brent
Aaron Peck (very fast over the trail)
In Tak:
Ryan
Richie
Pete
Matt Failor
Eddie Burke
Mille
Hunter Keefe
Matt Hall
Christian Turner
Dan K
Jessie Royer
KattiJo
Beringtons
Ramey Smyth
Bridgett
In McGrath:
Kelly Maixner
Riley
Bailey Vitello
Jason Mackey
Gerhardt
In Nik:
Mike WIlliams
Greg Vitello (will likely go on to McGrath to join his son)
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elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
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Re: McGrath -Takotna - Ophir - Iditarod - Shageluk - Anvik
by elsietee » Wed Mar 08, 2023 2:44 pm
Doing the math for Wade's run.
Iditarod is at mile 432.
Wade is at 361
Distance = 71 miles
He stopped at around 11 am... say he rests for 4.5 to 5.5 hours - he'll start to move at 3:30-4:40 this afternoon...
Run times:
7.5 mph = 9.5 hours to ID
7 mph = 10+ hours
6.5 mph = <11 hours
6 mph = <12 hours.
So he'd arrive in Iditarod any time from ~1 am to 3 am. That's a good time to be leaving ID after he finishes his 24.
Iditarod is at mile 432.
Wade is at 361
Distance = 71 miles
He stopped at around 11 am... say he rests for 4.5 to 5.5 hours - he'll start to move at 3:30-4:40 this afternoon...
Run times:
7.5 mph = 9.5 hours to ID
7 mph = 10+ hours
6.5 mph = <11 hours
6 mph = <12 hours.
So he'd arrive in Iditarod any time from ~1 am to 3 am. That's a good time to be leaving ID after he finishes his 24.
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elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
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Re: McGrath -Takotna - Ophir - Iditarod - Shageluk - Anvik
by mira » Wed Mar 08, 2023 2:50 pm
elsietee wrote:Doing the math for Wade's run.
Iditarod is at mile 432.
Wade is at 361
Distance = 71 miles
He stopped at around 11 am... say he rests for 4.5 to 5.5 hours - he'll start to move at 3:30-4:40 this afternoon...
Run times:
7.5 mph = 9.5 hours to ID
7 mph = 10+ hours
6.5 mph = <11 hours
6 mph = <12 hours.
So he'd arrive in Iditarod any time from ~1 am to 3 am. That's a good time to be leaving ID after he finishes his 24.
Thanks, as you say, perfect leaving time for the leg to Yukon..
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Re: McGrath -Takotna - Ophir - Iditarod - Shageluk - Anvik
by elsietee » Wed Mar 08, 2023 2:57 pm
From FB:
Stump Jumpin' Kennel - Wade Marrs
Stump Jumpin' Kennel - Wade Marrs
Resting at Mile 361, ~70 miles to Iditarod
checkpoint and the halfway of Iditarod 2023.
Wade had a lot of thinking to do coming into McGrath late last night as it’s the usual 24hr spot for him and his team. What is different this year?
1. The team was just not ready for a 24hr. Sure, they would rest, but not tired enough to fully capitalize on a 24hr reset. There’s a lot more that goes into that and probably better explained by a musher who has ran and managed a team 1,000 miles.
2. Wade was in the “back of the front” and weather conditions looked less than ideal for today. Word from McGrath is that it’s currenty above freezing with rain, Takotna snowing big time and still forecasted to be at 32 degrees when first musher Ryan Redington can leave off of his 24hr there.
For the #28 position in particular, it was weighing coming off the 24hr on trail possibly deteriorated from warm weather + snow during the day AND gamble if it will even "set up" after the number of teams traveling on it.
OR
Take a healthy rest in McGrath, run through the night and camp outside of Ophir, effectively breaking the run from McGrath to Iditarod in approximately two 65ish mile runs. Rest the team during peak heat of the day and hope you being first over the trail is better choice of the two.
Sounds like the dog team helped make this decision easy, which is pretty awesome. Speeds from McGrath through Ophir back that up and also confirm the trail was still in fine shape. Our “kennel support” who are more analytic driven report that Wade has been building quite the rest in comparative to those up front, it’s the goal for this to pay dividends leading up the coast.
I was a little surprised at how oblivious Insider reporters seemed to be this morning sitting in Takotna as they bantered about Aaron and Wade, and I think we were all a little bummed there was not a feed ready in Ophir. I guess they were all sleeping during the moves of our “night rider”. A reminder to never take your eyes off the back and who might be setting themselves up.
Heat seems to be the theme right now with temps hovering around freezing and above. A plus training in Northern Wisconsin is that we have a really nice mix of super cold and super warm, so this increase in temperature isn’t -as much- of a disadvantage for Wade and his team as opposed to others. For example, a team like Brent Sass trains out of Eureka, Alaska where it gets cold and stays colder.
Wade knows he will get leapfrogged during his 24hr rest in Iditarod and that those guys behind will be ready to go, but the finish line is always top of mind. Without a doubt there's people out there saying this was the wrong move, but with any move comes risks. With the race notes in front of me it's a good feeling to see them doing well, and still on Plan A.
Keep it up SJK. Big rest ahead!
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elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
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Re: McGrath -Takotna - Ophir - Iditarod - Shageluk - Anvik
by elsietee » Wed Mar 08, 2023 4:43 pm
Morning update from Tak with Bruce and Heister:
They say it is still warm, but now overcast. This morning was drizzling light rain.
Because of the weather, it's a good idea to stay in Ophir for 24.
* * *
They interview Eddie Burke who is walking past.
[I thought Eddie was small compared to Heister during a previous interview, but wondered if Heister was tall. Nope - Eddie is tiny - Bruce and Heister are sitting down and he's not much higher than them. That lack of weight has to help his team].
Said he just got a 5 hour sleep so feels really good - "a new man". Prior to that had only had three hours sleep. Team looks good, good appetite, need to manage the team in the heat, but likes what he's seeing. Describes having to really slow down for the moguls and didn't get any injuries. Heat means the dogs are running less aggressively.
Stopped in Tak for his 24 because of the heat (had an alternate plan to go to Ophir, but no point with this heat). Heister tries to bait him into talking about how he's in contention. Eddie doesn't bite and says there's too much racing ahead of them for that. Cites teams like Pete's, Matt Failor - says both have really nice teams; Richie's team looks good also.
Half of his team haven't done ID before, and one dog hasn't ever raced. Says he got the dog ("He's an awesome dog!") from Jessie Holmes who has helped him immensely. Eddie only has a small race pool, and was short dogs and Jessie gave him two dogs. They joke about how if these dogs are Jessie's rejects, what must his A Team be like? Says he's been watching the dog run and says he's "just a machine" - and this is one of Jessie's "worst dogs"?
"[Jessie] must have something pretty special going on!?".
Says he doesn't even know where Jessie is in the standings but hopes he's doing well.
Has been enjoying the food in Tak. Bruce mentions that the building where the food is is like a museum - tons of history on the walls.
* * *
They say it is still warm, but now overcast. This morning was drizzling light rain.
Because of the weather, it's a good idea to stay in Ophir for 24.
* * *
They interview Eddie Burke who is walking past.
[I thought Eddie was small compared to Heister during a previous interview, but wondered if Heister was tall. Nope - Eddie is tiny - Bruce and Heister are sitting down and he's not much higher than them. That lack of weight has to help his team].
Said he just got a 5 hour sleep so feels really good - "a new man". Prior to that had only had three hours sleep. Team looks good, good appetite, need to manage the team in the heat, but likes what he's seeing. Describes having to really slow down for the moguls and didn't get any injuries. Heat means the dogs are running less aggressively.
Stopped in Tak for his 24 because of the heat (had an alternate plan to go to Ophir, but no point with this heat). Heister tries to bait him into talking about how he's in contention. Eddie doesn't bite and says there's too much racing ahead of them for that. Cites teams like Pete's, Matt Failor - says both have really nice teams; Richie's team looks good also.
Half of his team haven't done ID before, and one dog hasn't ever raced. Says he got the dog ("He's an awesome dog!") from Jessie Holmes who has helped him immensely. Eddie only has a small race pool, and was short dogs and Jessie gave him two dogs. They joke about how if these dogs are Jessie's rejects, what must his A Team be like? Says he's been watching the dog run and says he's "just a machine" - and this is one of Jessie's "worst dogs"?
"[Jessie] must have something pretty special going on!?".
Says he doesn't even know where Jessie is in the standings but hopes he's doing well.
Has been enjoying the food in Tak. Bruce mentions that the building where the food is is like a museum - tons of history on the walls.
* * *
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elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
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Re: McGrath -Takotna - Ophir - Iditarod - Shageluk - Anvik
by elsietee » Wed Mar 08, 2023 5:50 pm
Wade was up and running again at 2:55 pm - after resting just 3hrs 45 mins. He has a 71 mile leg ahead of him, be interesting to see how he fares.
If he gets to ID at 12:30 am, he'll have been running at 7.5 mph.
If he gets there after 3 am, he's down to 6 mph.
If he gets to ID at 12:30 am, he'll have been running at 7.5 mph.
If he gets there after 3 am, he's down to 6 mph.
elsietee wrote:Doing the math for Wade's run.
Iditarod is at mile 432.
Wade is at 361
Distance = 71 miles
He stopped at around 11 am... say he rests for 4.5 to 5.5 hours - he'll start to move at 3:30-4:40 this afternoon...
Run times:
7.5 mph = 9.5 hours to ID
7 mph = 10+ hours
6.5 mph = <11 hours
6 mph = <12 hours.
So he'd arrive in Iditarod any time from ~1 am to 3 am. That's a good time to be leaving ID after he finishes his 24.
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elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
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Repotted english person in the Sierra foothills, CA
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Re: McGrath -Takotna - Ophir - Iditarod - Shageluk - Anvik
by elsietee » Wed Mar 08, 2023 6:21 pm
More maths...
(arrival time in brackets)
Assuming 2 mins between each musher, 33 starters.
Bib #2 has 62 mins added to their time.
Bib #33 leaves at 24 hours
Ophir:
#2 Jessie can leave at (23:45 pm) 00:47
#14 Brent can leave at (00:20) 00:58 (as Brent said on the trail after Nik "Let Jessie lead the way" : ) ) ) ) )
#31 Aaron Peck can leave at (07:24) 07:28
Takotna (trail between here and Ophir is 2.5 to 3 hours, so add that to the Ophir times above?):
#5 Ryan - (20:34) 21:30
#15 Richie - (20:49) 21:25
#33 Pete - (22:11) 22:11
#16 Matt Failor - (22:26) 23:00
#18 Eddie - (22:53) 23:23
#4 Mille - (23:11) 00:09
#12 Hunter - (01:20) 02:02
#7 Matt Hall - (02:02) 02:54
#30 Christian - (02:14) 02:20
#11 Dan - (03:04) 03:48
#26 Jessie R - (03:42) 03:56
#10 KattiJo - (04:20) 05:06
McGrath:
#23 Kelly M - (19:27) 19:47
#21 Riley - (23:05) 23:29
(arrival time in brackets)
Assuming 2 mins between each musher, 33 starters.
Bib #2 has 62 mins added to their time.
Bib #33 leaves at 24 hours
Ophir:
#2 Jessie can leave at (23:45 pm) 00:47
#14 Brent can leave at (00:20) 00:58 (as Brent said on the trail after Nik "Let Jessie lead the way" : ) ) ) ) )
#31 Aaron Peck can leave at (07:24) 07:28
Takotna (trail between here and Ophir is 2.5 to 3 hours, so add that to the Ophir times above?):
#5 Ryan - (20:34) 21:30
#15 Richie - (20:49) 21:25
#33 Pete - (22:11) 22:11
#16 Matt Failor - (22:26) 23:00
#18 Eddie - (22:53) 23:23
#4 Mille - (23:11) 00:09
#12 Hunter - (01:20) 02:02
#7 Matt Hall - (02:02) 02:54
#30 Christian - (02:14) 02:20
#11 Dan - (03:04) 03:48
#26 Jessie R - (03:42) 03:56
#10 KattiJo - (04:20) 05:06
McGrath:
#23 Kelly M - (19:27) 19:47
#21 Riley - (23:05) 23:29
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elsietee AT ponyhill DOT org
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Re: McGrath -Takotna - Ophir - Iditarod - Shageluk - Anvik
by elsietee » Wed Mar 08, 2023 6:23 pm
...Looking at the above, and not knowing how fast Nic is moving... I think Richie is in the lead?
Yay!!
Yay!!
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